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Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Upen Patel and Darshan Jariwala
Director: Raj Kumar Santoshi
Rating:***
Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani may never have officially claimed to be a sequel to the 90s cult hit, Andaz Apna Apna, but it is, in fact, a cocktail of frothy romance and giddy-headed comedy in the same vein. The hilarious ‘purush nahin, aap mahapurush ho’ dialogue is altered to ‘toph kya aap toh Pop ho’ here. The playful ‘Elloji sanam’ is evoked in the background….two rival gangs hatch a kidnapping plan, there’s an ineffectual don a la Crime master Gogo and the climax has all the riotous, slapstick fun elements one saw in Raj Kumar Santoshi’s earlier comedy.
It probably isn’t as zany as Andaz Apna Apna, but it still confidently holds up well as a frolicsome joyride, weaving a charming tapestry of quirky episodes. The comic-book touch enables Ajab… to work as part comedy and part fantasy, and the result is a feather-light, feel-good film.
Prem (Ranbir Kapoor), having left his schooling half-way, spends his time goofing around with friends and running a club that tries to bring together lovers. One such instance brings him close to Jenny (Katrina Kaif), a recent entrant in his neighbourhood. The two become friends, with Prem making several life-style changes in a bid to win her over. There is a rather charming touch to their characters, where both stammer whenever they get upset or emotional. Santoshi makes the romance kick in a tad too quickly, where the couple fight and the episode is followed by a song.
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Tango bhai..u r right ..that is the main reason...its a do or die for SS now. 
These hindu fanatics must be stopped or we are going back to the Dark Ages! Why is the government even ...
Definitely Action replay is a prestige film.And will be a huge success. 
I guess after the Rahul Gandhi visit, where Sena could not do anything, they ...
This is really getting murkier now... 
Both 3 Idiots and Ghajini(along with RNBDJ) came like Saviours at the time and really helped the exhibitors and Distributors. ...
I am saddened to see VHP too in this mudbath. 
Chavan dares VHP, will watch SRK's 'My Name...' with family
New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) Stating that nobody would be ...
Gorilla 6 November 2009
09:06:36 pm
nice review. I have to see this movie.
RAJ 6 November 2009
09:25:24 pm
Thanks Sandy for the review…I am watching the movie today..
akshay shah 7 November 2009
01:08:19 am
Thanks for the review again Sandy! Im tempted to now catch this in cinema….
Must add that Ranbir is getting but goodwill from each release despite the final BO outcome. WUS was an eventual hit, and the opening here has taken everyone off guard as I think a 60-70% is what i expected!
SAWARIYA, BEH, WUS and now APKGK, not a bad body of work at all so far. The film Im waiting for the most is RAJNEETI, not only does it allow him a author-backed role as an aspiring politician (with shades of Rajiv Gandhi!), the movie pits him against the likes of Ajay Dervgan and Nana Patekaer on their home territory i.e far removed from the Multiplex teen youth market!
RAJ 8 November 2009
02:23:28 am
Watched the movie yesterday in a houseful single screen…As sandy wrote the movie is silly but highly entertaining….The director somewhat looses his grip in the second half but first half was a laugh riot..I havent witnessed such effortless coming timing from any other actor after Govinda…Ranbir is a treat to watch in the movie and he has a real connection with the audince…Katrina is ok but she is such pleasure to watch on screen..
Ajab would do well both in multiplexes and single screens..I am sure its colections wouod beat LAK…
There is no stopping Ranbir..This guy is here to stay and rule…Watch out for Rocket Singh..Its fate will skyrocket at the BO…
sandhya 8 November 2009
04:17:58 am
Thanks Raj, AS and Gorilla.
I was never a die-hard fan of Anaz Apna Apna. I found it incredibly silly when i saw it for the first time. But maybe that’s just me! Over the years of course, that film has grown on me because it’s such a lighthearted, frolicksome film with great oneliners.
I got the same feeling from Ajab… It’s not a genre I enjoy greatly, but I see it as a well-made film with very good writing overall.
Ranbir – I know is a fantastic actor and there’s really no stopping him now. The only thing he was missing was a big opening and he’s got that too. From now on, he’s a very serious contender on the BO front! He deserves to be in the Top 5 if Rocket Singh also hits bull’s eye!
I have some reservations of him as an actor – in the sense that all his roles so far seem like derivatives of other actors.
Saawariya – Raj Kapoor
WUP – Hrithik, Aamir, Saif
Bachna – SRK
No doubt, he plays it to perfection, but I would like to now see him ‘create’ a persona for himself.
Aarohi 8 November 2009
04:30:37 am
Loved Ajab Prem. Highly entertaining film with great performances by the cast led by a terrific Ranbir (He is superbly OTT in the ball dance sequence). Katrina also pitches in with a very likeable performance. Special mention to Smita Jaykar and Darshan Jariwala who play Prem’s parents. Santoshi aims for a Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa meets Andaz Apna Apna tone and succeeds most of the times. I also liked the fact that Ajab Prem is mostly an old school film: the lead riding a bicycle, most of the film being shot on a set, friends chipping in on every occasion. Basically lots of fun. Watch it in theaters.
PS -It must be the 90s, Santoshi makes a funny film and Sachin torments the Aussies (well… almost).
Aarohi 8 November 2009
04:37:22 am
I watched an 8 pm Saturday evening show in a a multiplex. It was houseful and crowd reaction was very positive.
sandhya 8 November 2009
04:38:04 am
CoolP/any mod: Can you please ‘link’ my blog url. I’m not able to do it. Can you tell me how. I tried clicking on ‘Link’ but it’s not showing!
sandhya 8 November 2009
04:39:24 am
Aarohi: Even where I saw it, the response was pretty positive. And all those who’ve seen have only good things to say about the film.
sandhya 8 November 2009
04:46:07 am
I think the year has seen such few good films, that Ajab…will most certainly make it to the Top 5 Films of the year – both in terms of BO and by critical rating. The other film I liked is also another Ranbir starrer Wake up Sid and I think Rocket Singh might just be another winner too. Great going for Ranbir!
I have some hopes from Kurbaan and then there’s 3 Idiots, which is obviously the most anticipated.
sandhya 8 November 2009
04:53:23 am
A word on Katrina too. It’s not a joking matter anymore how lucky this woman is for her films!
Aarohi 8 November 2009
04:54:46 am
Sandy: I have fixed the link to your blog. Clicking on link might not have worked for you because of pop-up blocker in your system.
Tango 8 November 2009
05:34:27 am
Raj- Thanks for your views.
About Katrina, she may be a half decent actress, but she has an amazing fan following, something you must have sensed in the theatre. I mean watch Kurbaan and see Kareena’s entry scene and you will barely see a response. I’m taking Kareena’s name not to put her down but as per the media she is the top heroine!
I have been saying this for while about Katrina (just like my prediction about Ranbir from Jan 2007), but on both the occasions the usual suspects discredited it and joked about it, but I guess the joke is on them now, as mostly!
NyKavi 8 November 2009
07:56:39 am
Tango:
“I have been saying this for while about Katrina (just like my prediction about Ranbir from Jan 2007), but on both the occasions the usual suspects discredited it and joked about it, but I guess the joke is on them now, as mostly!”
That makes two of us. Katrina may be a half-decent actress, but she makes it up with a sizzling screen presence, really due to her infectious smile, her expressive eyes, and off course everything else below her face. Unlike a bunch of other actresses, she doesnt force any sensuality, she oozes it naturally. In criticon (read qaatilon) ke jungle mein, asli heerey ki pehchan waale johri sirf aap aur hum hi hain. Maine Partner dekhne ke baad, biwi ko bola tha ki yeh ladki zaroor top tak pahunchegi. Tab se Kats hamare ghar mein ban ho gayi.
Waakeiy mein, woh hain Oomph-e-nazar forever, forever.
Tango 8 November 2009
08:07:52 am
Nykavi – “That makes two of us. ”
Badey badey log aksar ek hi baat kehtey hain!
Very true Nykavi, from the audience who actually go to the cinemas, hardly 25 percent know what acting is. Yes, I’ll admit they do know what bad acting is NOW! Even half decent acting by the star they love to see on screen is enough for them to endorse.
Baat yeh hai ki (and I dont blame our net friends) net par aur real world mein bahut difference hota hai. I mean Filmfare has been ignoring Katrina for a while from its power list and projecting others as the top actresses par usse kuch ho gaya kya?
Veer Doga 8 November 2009
08:15:01 am
Tango Bhai, Kya Mooh Kala Karwaya Kal Indian Team ne, that too at home and from a POST ERA TEAM, not supposed to happen.
Angels and Belds 8 November 2009
08:17:36 am
tango/nyk – agree with you both. Katrina is by far the no 1 actress now. I think she and Ash are the 2 big BO draws right now.Kareena – as i have said earlier – is a female Akshay – all media hype. How many hits has she really got? just a handful.
BTw share sandy’s views on andaz aa – didnt much like it when i saw it first. sandy – did u ever write a review on kismat konnection – am watching it now and its pretty good time pass.
NyKavi 8 November 2009
08:41:33 am
On acting front, when it comes to bwood heroines, they would be doing an art movie to prove their talents mostly. IMHO the last great commercial actress was Madhuri. Rani and Kajol came close, but not in that league. If we are supposed to consider a Konkona opening her eyes wide and staring at 45degree angles in every shot of WUS as great acting, then true acting has lost meaning. As it stands now, there is not a single ‘real’ actress. Deepika, Kareena, Bipasha, Ash, Katrina, Lara, etc are all the same. Priyanka tries to do something different in a Fashion, which gets artmovie type BO results. All their roles have degraded to being just glamdolls. In that scenario, audience can easily differentiate between forced and real sensuality. Kareena keeps pouting in every frame where she is supposed to look hot. Katrina just shows her face and looks hot naturally.
Veer Doga 8 November 2009
08:52:18 am
Why do people keep looking for Acting in Mainstream Bollywood movies, its more about persona, screen presence,dialogue delivery, chemistry etc rather than Acting itself.
Its like finding a small ring in a ocean, you never find it.
Even SRK does Acting in a Swades only.
Tango 8 November 2009
09:00:12 am
doga- “Tango Bhai, Kya Mooh Kala Karwaya Kal Indian Team ne, that too at home and from a POST ERA TEAM, not supposed to happen.”
Aap ke liye kal hai mere liye to aaj hi hai! woh to bhagwan bhala kare Praveeen aur Jadeja ka , warna to moonh dikhane laeq nahi rehte.
This is unpardonable. Just the other day I was arguing about how India fought in losing by just 4 runs and 3 runs, aur yeh din dekhna pada.
Tango 8 November 2009
09:08:41 am
Nykavi I have seen bade bade soorma from art cinema, being exposed in mainstream cinema. I mean just a few like Smita, Om Puri, Naseer plus a few directors like Shyam Benegal etc. who excelled in both forms.
As Manmohan Desai once said, “It is the most difficult thing to make a commercial, cliched hit. If I tell my assistant to tell the hero to smoke a ciggerette and switch on the camera and go off to sleep for 10-12 mnutes and after that send the shot to a jury (that only likes GOOD/Prestigious movies) and add a Sen or Insane as the director, it’ll surely get an award.”
I mean I have loved off beat movies like Aakrosh, Bazaar, Manthan, Ardhya Satya etcx. but Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai mere upar se Nikal Gayee!
RAJ 9 November 2009
02:29:01 am
Tango,
I agree with you on Katrina and kareena..I always believed Katrina a bigger star than Kareena…Kareena for me is a non entity ..She is such a eyeshore..In the contrary katrina is a pleasure on screen…Audiences understand this…Who the hell cares for acting…Kareena is not a great actrees herself…
Also Tango,
I remember your predictions about Ranbir…I agreed to it that time..I agree to it now…Need i say more…Ajab’ll do 70 Cr Plus biz for sure….This is what a star should do…They have to rise above the script and make a avg script worth watching..Thats what Ranbir did with this movie..Thats what SRK is being doing for years…Superstars dont need good script to make a movie successful..That is the reason SRK is at the top and thats exactly the reason Ranbir ‘ll reach the top sooner than later…
utkal 9 November 2009
04:36:21 am
‘Superstars dont need good script to make a movie successful..” Not true. Superstars can mkaea badly scripted film open well, Supestars can make a n average script do decent business, superstars can make a good script do blockbuster buisness, but they cannot make a film with bad scriot run. In case of SRk examples: Trimurti, Dil Se. In case of akshay examples: Tasveer, CCTC. In case of Amir: Mela. In case of Salamn: Countless . APKGK ahs a very intelligent script. It is the toughest thing to write an action film or a physical comedy. Very few people in Bollywood can do it.